PERHAPS BECAUSE SECURITY APPEARS TO BE THE ONLY WAY TO CONTROL MALICIOUS VANDALISM, IT IS OFTEN MADE THE FOCAL POINT OF ANTIVANDALISM PROGRAMS. THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COST OF A SECURITY SYSTEM AND ITS POTENTIAL VALUE TO THE SCHOOL. A COMPREHENSIVE ANTIVANDALISM PROGRAM USING SECURITY DEVICES AS PART OF AN OVERALL PLAN IS OFTEN SUGGESTED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE LITERATURE IS FULL OF SUGGESTIONS AND ASSERTATIONS, BUT REMARKABLY SHORT ON CONCRETE FACTS DOCUMENTED BY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. THERE ARE TWO BASIC APPROACHES TO CONTROLLING MALICIOUS VANDALISM. DETERRENT PROGRAMS TREAT VANDALISM SYMPTOMATICALLY, USUALLY BY EMPHASIZING SCHOOL SECURITY. THE DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH ATTEMPTS TO PREVENT VANDALISM BY ATTACKING ITS CAUSES. THOUGHTFUL BUILDING DESIGN CAN GREATLY REDUCE NONMALICIOUS VANDALISM. THE WELL-DESIGNED BUILDING WILL BE LESS VULNERABLE TO ALL KINDS OF DAMAGE - MALICIOUS, NONMALICIOUS, AND EVEN WEAR AND TEAR. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)